MISSION & OBJECTIVE

The Chicago United Film Festival is where art and creativity come together to create a united film community. The United Festivals hold a rich tradition of showcasing humorous, touching and provoking films which provide a unique experience for filmmakers and filmgoers alike. Beginning in Tulsa, OK in 2002, United Festivals expanded to Los Angeles & New York in 2007. In 2009 United Festivals expanded to San Francisco, Chicago and London bringing its exciting flare for cinema to an even wider audience.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

The United Film Festivals
http://www.theunitedfest.com

2012 Season
Los Angeles - April / May
New York - May
London - June
San Francisco - Aug./Sept.
Chicago - Sept.
Tulsa - Oct.

A Tulsa native filmmaker, Jason Connell and his production company Connell Creations founded The Tulsa United Film Festival 8 years ago. Now living in Hollywood, Connell has expanded the United Film Festivals into Los Angeles & New York in 2007 and has added San Francisco, Chicago & London in 2009. With this growth the rich tradition of screening humorous, touching and sometimes provocative films is reaching even more people than ever.

The United Film Festivals are committed to showcasing original, high quality work and also to reaching out to our network of filmmakers. To help filmmakers get a better understanding of our programming system, we're now offering Film Feedback. This optional service is designed to give filmmakers valuable insight from our programmers and can be added on to any submission.

In addition to creating the United Film Festivals, in 2009 Connell Produced & Distributed the touching documentary "The Rock-afire Explosion", about a small-town disc jockey, a struggling inventor, and an animatronic rock band from the 80's. In 2007 he Produced & Directed his first feature length film "Strictly Background", the heartfelt documentary about 10 movie extras trying to make it in Hollywood. The film won 6 film festival awards and was released in 2008.

As their network continues to expand and grow into more major markets, they have opened up a distribution division. Films that have submitted and screened at The United Film Festivals have often gone to have great distribution success and Connell Creations is open to working with filmmakers in that capacity.

Along with festivals in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Tulsa, Chicago, New York, and London, The United Film Festivals are proud to announce the first annual Screenwriting Contest. After 8 years of building an extensive network of filmmakers they have gone one step further and built in a forum solely for screenwriters, with categories available for feature-length and short scripts in Comedy, Drama, and Horror/Thriller genres.

*Every year The United Fest will be screening more films and an equal number of narratives & documentaries.

ORGANIZERS

Jason Connell; Jason Connell (Founder / Director); Jordan Menashe

GENERAL RULES

*All short films should be under 30 minutes. Full length docs or feature films should be over 30 minutes.

Submitters have the option to enter their film into consideration for a single city, a package of 3 United Film Festivals, or the entire season of 6 United Film Festivals. Submitters may also add a Feedback Option to their submission. This is a service that is designed to give filmmakers valuable insight from our programmers at the end of the Notification process.
All United packages will be available for the duration of the entire year. No matter what city you buy your package in, your film is immediately considered for the festival with the first upcoming deadline. If a festival's submission deadline has elapsed, your submission will be rolled over into next year's festival.

**We ask for your cooperation in making sure your film is included for review in every festival in your package. Please make sure to follow these directions closely!

If you submitted via a UNITED 3 PACKAGE:
Submit to the other two festivals of your choosing and utilize the waiver code UNITED 3. Under the box marked ‘Reason’ please provide us with your original Withoutabox tracking number.

If you submitted via a UNITED 6 PACKAGE:
Submit to all the United Film Festivals and utilize the waiver code UNITED 6. Under the box marked ‘Reason’ please provide us with your original Withoutabox tracking number.

***Please be advised that we only require one copy of your film regardless of how many festivals you submit to. We'll be passing your film along to the various programmers for each festival so there is no need for extra copies, plus it saves you time and money.

Chicago United Film Festival is hereby granted the right to utilize an excerpt from any film submitted and accepted for exhibition at the Festival for promotional purposes.

The individual or corporation submitting the film hereby warrants that it is authorized to commit the film for screening, and understands and accepts these requirements and regulations.

The undersigned shall indemnify and hold harmless Chicago United Film Festival from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees, and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the screening videos entered.